Hawkeye

Hawkeye doesn’t get nearly enough play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Don’t get me wrong, Jeremy Renner is 100% perfect to play the world’s most begrudging archer but until he gets his own movie (*crosses fingers* pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease) he’s going to fade into the background. Thank goodness for these comics.

We can’t all get selected for Project Rebirth or survive the Red Room or get arc reactors put in our chests, but like most of the lesser-known Marvel heroes, we can all practice and get really, really good at something. Clint Barton isn’t an enhanced individual, he put in the hard work and hours to become a superhero. He earned it.

It’s not like Barton’s origin story isn’t interesting. He survived an abusive home, joined the circus, fell hopelessly in love with Natasha Romanova (who hasn’t) (they’re just bros now, I guess) (whatever), saved a dog, AND he wears hearing aids. There’s your true superhero: average-could-be-anybody-Joe runs around with the Avengers. That’s awesome.

(As far as the MCU goes, I get it. I would have also gotten it if Barney and Pizza Dog were living at the secret farm in the middle of nowhere. But my headcanon is that Linda Cardellini’s character from New Girl (Abby Day) got in trouble and was rescued (or apprehended) by Hawkeye and became Laura Barton.)

The layouts and panels of the comics are so clever, especially when Clint isn’t wearing his hearing aids. And anytime Pizza Dog wanders off on his own. Also, Kate Bishop is the best.